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Weaning

Find weaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Weaning forum. Use our child development calendar for more information.

Original poster

When is a baby ready to eat?

26 replies

cosmicdust · 09/12/2008 00:30

So I read all the reasons for waiting until 6 months & was planning to do so. Almost every night I go over these reasons with my husband to convince both of us that we should wait. However, on Sunday, my 4 1/2 mo ds was sitting on my lap during lunch and several times reached out to grab the rim of my plate (as I'd pushed it far onto the table away from him) pulled it towards him then grabbed at the food. Everything's going to his mouth at the moment, so he almost had a taste of broccoli cheese but I caught his hand on route. Does this mean I should start feeding him? When dh & I eat, he sits (supported, not on his own yet) and watches are every move intently. He's a skinny baby, off the scale on length and 90% on weight, birth weight 10lbs4oz, up to this point exclusively bf.

OP posts:
TLESinChristmasStockings · 09/12/2008 00:51

Cos
YOU and you alone know your baby.

ds1 was having baby rice from 2 weeks as he was very hungry he is now 10yrs old

ds2 was having purees (home made) from 8 weeks he is now 15 months old.

go with what you feel is right is my advice.

skrimbo · 09/12/2008 00:54

When they go golden brown sorry couldn't resist.

TeenyTinyTorya · 09/12/2008 00:57

I'm sorry, I have to disagree TLES.

Cosmic - your ds is at the age where he will want to grab everything, not just food, and will also put things in his mouth quite naturally. It doesn't mean that he's ready for solid food though, just that he's curious.

If you still feel happy to wait until 6 months, that's probably the best thing to do, unless your ds makes it very clear that he is ready to eat. My ds was weaned very gradually from 21 weeks, as he took a banana off me and chewed it. He was also displaying all the signs of being ready to wean, so I just went with it. I would never have weaned before 4 months without medical advice, and would wait till 6 months wherever possible.

These are the "official" signs of being ready to wean, if it helps at all -

Holding his or her head up and controlling head movements.

Sitting well when supported.

Making chewing motions.

Doubling his or her birth weight.

Being unsatisfied after a full milk feed

Demanding increasing and more frequent milk feeds

Attempting to put things in his or her mouth

After a period of sleeping through the night waking in the night with hunger

Displaying curiosity about what you are eating.

HTH

fortyplus · 09/12/2008 00:59

pmsl at 'ds1 was having baby rice from 2 weeks as he was very hungry he is now 10yrs old'

It didn't kill him so it must be ok?

TLESinChristmasStockings · 09/12/2008 01:02

Forty, I just believe that a mother knows their child better than anyone.

Yes ds1 is now 10 and no it didn't do him any harm. He put on weight, was healthy, grew well. And yes he was a very hungry baby he would have 9oz bottle every 45-1hour.

ds2 was pretty much the same but was mix fed (bf and ff) and still hungry.

TeenyTinyTorya · 09/12/2008 01:02

Well, it hasn't killed him, but you don't know what his digestive system could do in the future. I hate that argument.

skrimbo · 09/12/2008 01:08

But there are millions of babies all over the world fed at all different stages on all sorts of foods,

DS was the size of a small elephant but was later starting solids, DD can't remember to be honest, not something I really worry about.

TLESinChristmasStockings · 09/12/2008 01:09

teeny, well with ds1 there has been no effect as of yet.

All i said was a mum knows best and to go with instincts.

Skrimbo exactly

fortyplus · 09/12/2008 01:13

I'm a great believer that these guidelines are dictated based on the fact that everyone knows that people will wean earlier. So mums are told 6 months so that the majority will leave it till 3 months. If people were told 3 months they'd all be weaning at six weeks. Or am I an old cynic?

skrimbo · 09/12/2008 01:15

Thats is probably true, I also think people would do well to remember they are guidelines not the law.

skrimbo · 09/12/2008 01:16

Still liked my first reaction, when they are golden brown

TLESinChristmasStockings · 09/12/2008 01:22

lol Skrimbo

skrimbo · 09/12/2008 01:23

Drizzle them in olive oil and don't forget to season liberaly. I find a bit of fresh coriander goes lovely.

TisTheSeasonToBeSolo · 09/12/2008 01:26

When they are hungry?....I'm going to bed.

Original poster
cosmicdust · 09/12/2008 01:38

wow, so many posts already! Thanks!

skrimbo, you made me lol .

TLES, I'm glad your kids are doing well. I know most of our generation were getting by 4 1/2 months & we survived!

Teeny, thanks for the "official" guidelines. Where are they from by the way?

Holding his or her head up and controlling head movements. - Yes

Sitting well when supported. - yes

Making chewing motions. - I think so, he kind of seems to grind his gums sometimes when he's resting on my shoulder

Doubling his or her birth weight. - he was 16lbs at 4 mos, 10lbs4oz at birth, so we have a way to go, but is that still true when you have a huge baby?

Being unsatisfied after a full milk feed - seems to be satisfied, but gets fairly distracted during feedings

Demanding increasing and more frequent milk feeds - I think we're nursing more often (don't watch the clock to be honest) but I think it's because of the distraction

Attempting to put things in his or her mouth ALL THE TIME

After a period of sleeping through the night waking in the night with hunger. Has NEVER slept through the night

Displaying curiosity about what you are eating. very curious.

I'm thinking I might offer [[http://www.mother-2-mother.com/momsicles.htm momsicles] and see what he thinks. Has anyone else tried these?

OP posts:
Original poster
cosmicdust · 09/12/2008 01:41

sorry, messed up that link there - not good at internet writing
momsicles

OP posts:
TeenyTinyTorya · 09/12/2008 01:45

I got them from this site but they are replicated in many different forms on many different sites and in books.

Not sure about the birth weight thing - ds was also big (9lb 7oz) at birth but I don't think he was 19lb until after 6 months. He lost a lot of weight after birth though, so I think it probably depends.

TLES and skrimbo - they may be guidelines and not laws, but they are there for a reason. A 2 or 8 or even 12 week old has a very undeveloped digestive tract, and it could be downright dangerous to feed them solids at this age. A lot of people seem to do this because baby seems hungry/doesn't sleep etc, and they don't understand about growth spurts and normal wakefulness etc. I'm not saying that this is why you weaned early, TLES, but I have seen many posts from mums saying things like "my 3 week old doesn't sleep more than 4 hours at night, should I give him baby rice" - that's why there need to be well-informed guidelines.

TLESinChristmasStockings · 09/12/2008 01:47

Cos, thanks
I still would say go with your instincts. You know you baby better than anyone else.

TLESinChristmasStockings · 09/12/2008 01:49

Teeny well just so you know ds2 has slept right through since he was 2 weeks old. ds1 from about 3 maybe 4 weeks...so it was nothing to do with not sleeping. it was to do with them being hungry

TeenyTinyTorya · 09/12/2008 01:52

TLES, might the hunger have been down to growth spurt? 2 and 8 weeks are common times for babies to have them.

TinselBaublesMistletoe · 09/12/2008 02:01

I'm not totally convinced by that list and I'm sure I won't be the only one:

Holding his or her head up and controlling head movements - Yes

Sitting well when supported - I don't agree.

Making chewing motions - Yes

Doubling his or her birth weight - Babies grow at different rates so not all will double their weight at the same stage.

Being unsatisfied after a full milk feed - No, growth spurt has that effect and milk is the most calorific thing you can give a baby.

Demanding increasing and more frequent milk feeds - Again a sign of a growth spurt.

Attempting to put things in his or her mouth - A normal part of exploring the world.

After a period of sleeping through the night waking in the night with hunger - Another sign of a growth spurt.

Displaying curiosity about what you are eating - Would you hand over a razor blade when they show interest in shaving? Or let them prepare their own food when they show an interest in your cooking or your car keys when they watch you drive... Curiosity is how we learn.

I can't find a list at the moment - I've just seen the time! No wonder I'm tired - but I'm sure someone else will post one.

TeenyTinyTorya · 09/12/2008 02:05

Good point actually TBM - I've sort of devalued my own argument lol! It's too late though, that's my excuse. Off to bed

NewKnickersFromSantaOnMaHead · 09/12/2008 02:12

Baby rice at 2weeks? Jeez.

slim22 · 09/12/2008 02:23

skrimbo

I think you really could wait a bit. It just sounds like curiosity.

If you are really itching put a well cooked piece of sweet potato or stewed apple on his tray and watch if he can suck/chew. I would not try and push food into his mouth yet ( or ever as a matter of fact).

build up from there for the next month or so.

That's what I did with both DS and DD after 5 months.

And in case you are wondering, no, food does not make babies sleep through the night.

slim22 · 09/12/2008 02:24

Just want to add:

That's what I did. Not what should be done!